The Vikings Vault - Scrapbook Archive

Reproduced with the kind permission of 25 October The Courier Archive (Newcastle University 1967 Special Collections 7 September 2016) Copyright of The Courier belongs to Newcastle University Students' Union

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Handball in the North East enters a new Viking age 8 February 2016 By news_web - 8 February 2016 The Newcastle Vikings Handball Club has been growing since 2012. Image: NVHC.

Sports Editor Calum Wilson visited the Newcastle Vikings Handball Handball display promise in debut 27 February 2012 Club to discuss the rise of Handball in the North East. By Manuel Espinosa Nevraumont - 27 February 2012 Founded in 2012, amidst the aftermath of Olympic fever, the Newcastle Vikings became the first developmental Manu Espinosa Nevraumont reports from Manchester as Newcastle University’s Handball side show Handball club to hail from the city. Despite their humble great potential at the University Handball Championships beginnings, the club set out on a mission to grow Handball in the North East. Four years on, the club and Last weekend the Newcastle University handball had a promising showing at the University Handball the sport is showing great promise. Championships in Manchester, organised by the ABUHC. Overall the team had 3 wins and 2 losses. The Newcastle Vikings currently boast a Men’s, Women’s and Junior team. The Men’s and Women’s Getting off to a good start with a 6-3 win over Bangor they then fell to a 5-13 defeat to group- teams both compete in the England Handball North Regional Development League. The Vikings winners Oxford. A rather unjust score line of 4-9 against Lincoln A followed, in what was a closely made their debut in the league last season, with both sides finishing in an impressive 4th position. contested game for the most part. Both sides had drawn a fixture only two weeks earlier. As the Vikings enter the latter half of only their second year in the Development League, both teams Despite this sore defeat, Newcastle picked themselves back up to seal a narrow 4-3 win over Lincoln look set for top four finishes once more. Last Saturday, the Men’s team beat the combined outfit B to ensure third place in their group. However, the loss to Lincoln A meant qualification to the Leeds Hornets/University of Huddersfield, at their home venue at South Shields’ Temple Park Leisure quarter-finals was not possible, but third entailed a play-off against Brighton. Centre. “THE NEWCASTLE VIKINGS CURRENTLY BOAST A MEN’S, WOMEN’S AND JUNIOR TEAM” In what was probably one of the games’ of the tournament, Newcastle prevailed 7-6 victors. In engaging a new set of tactics, Brighton were caught off guard, conceding two suspensions and two Despite starting the match as underdogs, with the visitors 2nd in the table, the Vikings sailed into a penalties. After some spectacular goals from Juan Carlos Sachez “Kacho”, a frantic finish ensued 3-1 lead thanks to an early hat-trick from left-winger Gracjan Joppek. Joppek, who is Polish, was with Brighton looking for an equalizer. Despite top-scorer Geoffrey Laborde coming off injured and one of 5 non-British members of the diverse 10-man Vikings squad, epitomising the international receiving a suspension themselves, Newcastle stayed strong defensively to pull off a fantastic appeal of Handball. victory. Left-half Athbi Almarzouq, a Kuwaiti student studying at Northumbria University, extended the Vikings’ lead to 6-2 later in the half. A two-minute sin-bin for the opposition number 4 allowed the The University of Essex won the competition after beating the University of Manchester in the final. hosts to stretch their advantage to 10-3 before the first time-out. The two teams then traded blows, Newcastle’s final win meant an overall joint 9th place position out of over 20 teams, in what is the before going into half time at 13-6. Handball Club’s first competitive showing. The start of the second period was a much more even encounter. Daniel Walsh in the Vikings’ goal The Club was established following on from a popular series of GoPlay sessions ran by NUSU. The was called into action on a couple of occasions as the visitors tried to mount a comeback. team is multicultural with Spanish, French, German and Mexican students among an encouraging Leeds/Huddersfield added to their tally, but a breakaway goal from Matthew Lamb soon restored number of British players. Several of the British contingent have been asked to attend trials for the the 7-goal difference. Great Britain Students’ squad, with a forthcoming update should any make the cut. “LEFT-HALF ATHBI ALMARZOUQ, A KUWAITI STUDENT STUDYING AT Mark Harrison, who has been coaching the team and leading from the sidelines for the NORTHUMBRIA UNIVERSITY, EXTENDED THE VIKINGS’ LEAD TO 6-2” Championships said, “to finish in the top half of the tournament amongst some highly experienced Almarzouq and Joppek were amongst the scorers as both sides shared a flurry of late goals. The teams, in what is our first year in existence, is phenomenal. It was necessary for the players to give Vikings held on, with the match finishing 22-15. However, the day’s entertainment was far from 100%, and not one of them disappointed.” over as the Vikings played host to the second round of the North East Handball Tournament, against teams from Durham and York. The Newcastle University Handball Club is under the Presidency of Jack McKay and after such a successful first season with a largely beginner squad, plans are already underway for a larger Organised by Vikings’ Head Coach Marlen Slinning, the friendly tournament is designed to help recruitment programme in September and entry into a national England Handball league. develop Handball across the North East of England. “The plan for us is to get more clubs in the North East”, Slinning explained. “In the UK, I think Handball is actually growing, but here in the North East we are a step behind most places.” Neither Newcastle University or Northumbria University currently field an official Handball team, but Slinning is hopeful that the Vikings can work closely with the Universities in the future. “We want Handball to be active within the Universities. We would want to work together with any University clubs to develop Handball in the North East.” “IN THE UK, I THINK HANDBALL IS ACTUALLY GROWING, BUT HERE IN THE NORTH EAST WE ARE A STEP BEHIND MOST PLACES” Slinning, who comes from Norway and has years of Handball experience, also wants to develop the sport amongst younger children. “We have sessions for children down to the age of 8, we are trying to get kids involved at a younger age. So we have improved, in that we started with just Women and Men and now we offer Handball for kids, but it is a slow process to develop Handball in the North East.” For more information, visit: http://newcastlehandball.co.uk

9 19 February Vikings propelling invasion of Handball 2018 Written by Mark Sleightholm • 19th February 2018 • Sport For a sport that’s so popular in the rest of Europe, handball has a surprisingly low profile in the UK. But just six years after its foundation the Newcastle Vikings Handball Club boasts a men’s and a women’s team, alongside junior teams, and counts several Newcastle students among its members. Handball’s popularity elsewhere in Europe and further afield explains the club’s high number of international members, and Newcastle University students such as Maren Liane and Emily Bjerk joined the club after growing up playing the sport in Norway. Fellow Norwegian Pål Jakobsen had limited experience before arriving in the UK, but was a keen follower of the sport and now enjoys playing for the Vikings. Liane explains the sport as “a mix between football, basketball and rugby,” with the simplicity of football combined with the pace and high scores of basketball. “Everyone plays defence, and everyone plays attack, so everyone runs the whole court,” she continued. “You also have tackles as well, so it’s a bit more physical than basketball in that sense.” Indeed, the lack of protective clothing is deceptive; handball can be a brutal sport. The Vikings, however, tend to play in a more friendly manner, making the club a good starting place for beginners. The unlimited subs in handball makes it relatively easy for beginners to gain match experience, and Vikings members are more than welcome to just attend training sessions. These sessions are held twice a week: Monday evenings in South Shields and Wednesday evenings in Benfield, just next to Walkergate Metro. For those looking to get a bit more competitive, the club holds training matches and competes in handball leagues. “There’s a few people who started off with just doing training,” Liane explained, “and then they joined the training matches and now they’re playing the league.” The men’s team currently sits at the bottom of the National North division, but is more concerned with gaining experience and having fun than racking up a string of victories. “We’re quite new; we have a mix of abilities,” Jakobsen explained. “We know we’re not going to be the best in this league, and therefore there’s not much complaining either. We’re there to develop and have fun, basically.” The women’s team is currently a division lower, in the Regional North league. Like the men, they want to win but their main motivation is the fun of playing matches. The club was set up in the aftermath of the London 2012 Olympics, where the appearance of a British handball team sparked a wave of interest in the sport across the country. Team GB crashed out of the Games after losing every single one of their matches, but their presence helped to introduce handball to a British audience. By building connections with local schools the Vikings can introduce handball to a new generation of players, and ultimately encourage more British kids to take up the sport The Vikings’ membership consists of a mix of students – particularly those such as Liane and Bjerk who played the sport before coming to the UK – and locals. While setting up a handball club in Newcastle University’s Athletic Union could help to attract more student members this would also require a lot of work and dedication from its founders, so for the time being the Vikings are the main source of Tyneside handball action. “I think quite a few people are keen when they come to university to try something new, to do something they’ve never done before,” Liane explained. But unlike the AU clubs’ ability to advertise their sports at freshers’ fair, the Vikings are not part of the University and so can’t benefit from this kind of publicity. “It’s a challenge with us being an outside club,” she continued. “Because it’s hard to get in contact with students unless they know about handball beforehand.” One of the club’s main aims going forward is to reach out to junior players. By building connections with local schools the Vikings can introduce handball to a new generation of players, and ultimately encourage more British kids to take up the sport. The junior teams have their own training sessions and can take part in under-16 competitions if they want to. The three students are keen to spread the word about their beloved sport. Liane summarised a typical encounter with English students: “everyone that I’ve explained it to is like, ‘Oh that sounds really cool. Why do we not have it?’ and I think with it being an indoor sport as well, it’s quite nice for England! “The basic rules are quite easy to get into, it’s a bit like football in the sense that as long as you have a ball you can start to play, which is good for beginners.” Anyone is welcome to join the Vikings and try out handball. The club offers three free taster sessions for newbies, and Bjerk points out that a great way to find out more about the sport is to tag along to a training session. “If there are people who don’t know what it is they can also come by and just watch and see what we’re doing, she explained. “They don’t have to train, they can just sit and watch how it works.” If handball’s moment has finally come in the UK, the Vikings are at the forefront of this expansion. Their mix of competition and fun and welcoming attitudes towards beginners makes the club an important part of the development of handball in the UK, and the Norwegian students hope that their enthusiasm for the sport will be shared by more of their fellow students in Newcastle.

School success deserves big hand 8 June 2005 Evening Chronicle 8 June 2005

You have to hand it to Monkseaton Middle School - when it comes to handball they are top of the

form. 30 June Monkseaton's hand-y squad The newly-formed North Tyneside squad travelled north of the border and defeated Gracemount to 2004 Evening Chronicle 30 June 2004 claim the Under-12 Scottish Cup. You have to hand it to Monkseaton Middle School - when it comes to flying England's flag they are The team, having played only since September last year, faced Gracemount for the third time this top of the class! season, having beaten them in both their Scottish League matches on the way to sealing the title earlier this year. The North Tyneside school has just concluded its first year of competition in the Scottish U-12 and U-14 Junior Leagues - in the sport of handball. The Cup final, held at the Tryst Sports Centre in Cumbernauld, was the culmination of a hard but successful year for the young squad, who have suffered only one defeat all season. The game started At the start of the year the boys and girls teams (pictured) suffered heavy defeats but rallied as the well for Monkseaton, the first half finishing 4-2 in their favour. season progressed, eventually gaining victories over Tryst and Gracemount. Gracemount, however, came back hard in the second period and the match ended 9-9 and then 12- Up against three other teams in their league, the under-12 team finished fourth while the under- 12 after extra time. 14s finished third out of five teams. That took the tie to a golden-goal decider - and after only 30 seconds Monkseaton's captain Jonathan With the competition expanding next season (October to June) to include more Scottish teams, Armstrong scored the crucial strike. Monkseaton Middle will be joined by pupils from Whitley Bay and Monkseaton High. They will also be playing in the England junior event with their older squad. The squad, pictured above, is Jonathan Armstrong, Seraosha Ferozepurwalla, Jack Gibson, Ryan Carr, James Gray, Jamie Hansford, Scott Latimer, Robert Bray, Kieran Graham, Aman Majid, Ryan The year culminated in an invitation to attend an international event, called "Focus Europe," in Sligo, Brooke, Christopher Wilson, Steven Borg and Robbie Chedburn. Ireland.

Fielding three teams against Irish and German opposition, Monkseaton's boys finished eighth and ninth from 11 teams, while the girls team (a joint Monkseaton /Solingen squad) took the girls title and were undefeated in eight games.

11 Your Team: The Newcastle Vikings Handball Club

By Emily Meritt – 7 November 2014

7 November 2014 23 October 2013

Some senior and junior members of the Newcastle Vikings Handball Club The Newcastle Vikings Handball Club Juniors cater for ages 10-16 years and their Seniors start from 17 years upwards. They are part of the England Handball Association and the North Regional Development League. The club is not currently sponsored, and are keen to hear from any possible sponsor. The club are based at the Temple Park Leisure Centre, South Shields (this is where they hold their home matches and Monday training) and the Percy Hedley Sports Academy in Killingworth (for their Wednesday training.) Chair and Head Coach Marlen Slinning said: "Newcastle Vikings Handball Club is the first developmental handball club in Tyneside, founded in September 2012 with a mission to grow and develop handball in the North East. "Head coach Marlen Slinning established the club with a group of other sports enthusiasts, building on the legacy of the London 2012 Olympic Games. The club's board is working hard to provide the right structure to develop handball in the North East, with a goal of developing sustainable handball teams in different age groups and genders to take part in national tournaments and leagues. "The Vikings men's and women's teams play in the England Handball North Regional Development League, having played their debut season in the Scottish Handball League in 2013/14. They are a highly multi- national club, players hail from right across Europe as well as Africa, Asia and South America. "Anyone interested in playing handball is welcome to join the clubs training sessions, the first introductory session is free." The club time table is as follows: Mondays - Juniors (10-16yrs) 6:30-7:30pm and Adults (17+) 7-8:30pm (league players until 10pm) at Temple Park Leisure Centre, John Reid Road, South Shields NE34 8QN Wednesdays - Juniors (10-16yrs) 7-8pm, Adults (17+) 8-10pm at the Percy Hedley Sport Academy, West Lane, Killingworth. Club Contact details: www.newcastlehandball.co.uk / [email protected] / Facebook: Newcastle Vikings Handball Club / Twitter: @NVHandball / Tel: 07838-542601

12 Handball: The Newcastle Vikings v Peninsula 22 January Women's Handball Home League 2015 25 November By Emily Meritt – 25 November 2014 2014 Marlen Slinning of the Newcastle Vikings takes a flying shot at a goal

Newcastle Vikings Handball Club at Newcastle Vikings v Peninsula women's handball home league match took place on November 8 2014 at the Temple Park Leisure Centre in South Shields. It was a Seniors match. (For players aged 17+)

Chairperson and Head Coach Marlen Slinning said: "The Newcastle Vikings won 21-9 Peninsula (Merseyside)

"The event was the England Handball North Regional Development League and the Vikings Women had back to Winning Ways in Style

"The Newcastle Vikings Handball Clubs women's team made the most of their first home league match at Temple Park Leisure Centre in South Shields last weekend to get their season going with a big win over a young Peninsula team.

Sofie Vaula battles through the Peninsula defence to take a shot at the goal!

"The Merseyside club were first to get on the score sheet, but the Vikings soon struck back through Marie Brevet before edging in front. A brace of goals each from Sandra Christke, Gesa Junge, Marlen Slinning and Sofie Vaula, backed up by typically tight Vikings defending and a penalty save by goalkeeper Andrea King, helped Newcastle build a strong 9-3 lead at half time.

"Again Peninsula came out slightly faster after the break, before captain Sandra Christke and head coach Marlen Slinning started to dominate the goalscoring proceedings as Newcastle regained control of the game. Six second-half goals from Christke together with a further five from Slinning fired the Vikings into an unassailable lead as the Vikings broke the 20 goals barrier. A late strike from Judyta Turulska rounded the game off as Newcastle Vikings claimed a 21-9 victory to jump up to second in the England North Regional Development League table."

The Newcastle Vikings featuring Jason Lee, Matthew Lamb, Selina Stenberg, Blessing Ogbee, Kathryn Powell, Andrea King, Gesa Junge, Judyta Turulska, Craig Swanson, Robert Thompson, Marlen Slinning, Sofie Vaula, Sandra Christke and Marie Brevet

The Newcastle Vikings are: Andrea King (GK), Marie Brevet (1 goal), Marlen Slinning (7), Sofie Vaula (2), Gesa Junge (2), Blessing Ogbee, Judyta Turulska (1), Kathryn Powell, Sandra Christke (8).

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45 28 April DUNDEE 2014

TyneMet Sport Students Get Elite Handball Coaching 22 January 28 Apr 2014 by Lisa Dawson 2014

Students studying on the Level 3 Sport Performance and Excellence at TyneMet College were recently introduced to the fast paced game of Handball. The new practical skills and techniques learned will be used as examples by the students to complete the element of the course that covers Technical and Tactical Skills in Sport. Handball is an exciting and action-packed team sport which is great fun to play, it is recognized as the fastest ball sport in the world and has become a massive hit in Britain after the successful London 2012 Olympic Games. The 19 students who were all new to the game were introduced to the rules, format and tactics of the game by Marlen Slinning, Head Coach and Robin Gevilette, Assistant Coach from the Newcastle Vikings Handball Club. The Newcastle Vikings are the first developmental Handball Club in Newcastle and were founded in 2012. Marlen is the Head Coach and the driving force behind the club, she originally comes from Norway and has years of experience playing and teaching handball. Passionate about developing young people and adults in the art of handball she was delighted to come to TyneMet College to deliver four training sessions to the Sports students. Marlen said: “Our mission is to grow Handball in Newcastle as a community development tool for the years to come, with an aim of creating sustainable handball teams in different age/gender groups taking part in the England and Scotland Handball tournaments and leagues. “We really enjoyed the sessions we delivered at TyneMet College. We were able to showcase this amazing sport to the students, some of whom have expressed a keen interest in joining some of the Viking’s training sessions.” Warick Stephenson, Head of Care, Sport and Leisure, TyneMet College, said: “The Level 3 Sport Performance and Excellence course examines the role of the professional sports person as well as the key concepts within sports coaching so this activity was extremely useful to the students. “We encourage the students to build up their portfolio of sporting activities so that they can adjust coaching procedures to fit the need of a whole range of sporting disciplines.” For more information about Sport courses at TyneMet College, call and speak to a student advisor on 0191 229 5000, email [email protected] or visit www.tynemet.ac.uk/Sport Newcastle Vikings Handball Club meet every Wednesday, junior sessions, 19:00 to 20:00 and adults sessions 20:00 to 22:00, at Percy Hedley Sports Academy, West Lane, Killingworth, Newcastle upon Tyne NE12 7BH. For more information visit http://newcastlehandball.co.uk

46 Handball tournament aims to convert new fans Tuesday 28 April 2015 – by PETER TENNICK 28 April 2015

Olympic sport arrives in South Tyneside 2 May ON THE BALL ... Newcastle Vikings Handball 2014 Club's men's and women's teams. SPORTS fans in South Tyneside will be able to take in the Olympic game of handball for the first time this weekend. The event, organised by Newcastle Vikings Handball Club, will see male and female teams from England and Scotland competing in the tournament at the Temple Park Leisure Centre, South Shields, on Saturday. The tournament starts at 10am and entry is free to anyone who wants to go along and watch the matches throughout the day. Coun Alan Kerr, deputy leader of South Tyneside Council with responsibility for culture and leisure services, said: “It’s really good to see South Tyneside playing an active part in continuing to develop the Olympic legacy, and help inspire young people to keep fit and healthy by getting involved in playing exciting new sports like this. “I hope this tournament is the start of something really promising for the North East.” The tournament will see Newcastle Vikings’ men take on teams from Sunderland University, York, Bedfordshire’s Cranfield University, Edinburgh, Glasgow and East Kilbride in Scotland. In the women’s competition, the Vikings will be playing against Edinburgh, York and Cranfield University. LOOKING BACK ... competitors at last year's event. Newcastle Vikings Handball Club is the first non-university handball club in the North East and was founded AN annual sporting event is getting on the ball to build on its past success. Marlen Slinning and fellow enthusiasts in September 2012. The third Tyneside Handball Tournament will take place at Temple Park Leisure Centre in South Ms Slinning, who is from Norway – the home of the Olympic handball champions – is the head coach and Shields on Saturday. chairwoman of the club. “Our aim is to grow handball across Newcastle and the North East, She has played handball all her life and was inspired to set up the club in the wake of the London 2012 Olympic Games: so this second tournament in South Tyneside is another step towards that.” She said: “I’ve been playing handball since I was about five, it’s really popular across continental Europe Marlen Slinning, Newcastle Vikings but less known in Britain. This will be the second time that the annual event has been held at the venue. Hosted by Newcastle “I wanted to build on the huge interest and legacy generated by the Olympics. Handball has really taken Vikings Handball Club, the first non-university group of its kind in the North East and now playing off and we’re developing rapidly as a club with the help of Sport England, establishing promising senior and its home matches at Temple Park, the event will see teams from England and Scotland compete in junior teams for both girls and boys. I also teach handball in local schools.“ knockout cup and plate competitions. She added: “We’ve got a good mix of experienced and new players of all ages at the club now and our aim Spectator entry is free for anyone wanting to go along and watch men and women’s matches from is to grow handball across Newcastle and the North East. This tournament in South Tyneside is a big step 9am to 7pm in the main sports hall. towards that, and hopefully we’ll attract some new members to our club too. Newcastle Vikings head coach Marlen Slinning founded the club with a group of fellow handball “This is a great opportunity to come along and watch the fastest ball sport in the world.” enthusiasts in September 2012 after being inspired by that year’s London Olympic Games. South Tyneside Council worker and Vikings goalkeeper, Andrea King, was inspired to try her hand at the She said: “Our aim is to grow handball across Newcastle and the North East, so this second sport after going to watch the Olympic women’s handball semi-final in London. tournament in South Tyneside is another step towards that, and, hopefully, we’ll attract some new “A couple of months later a friend told me about a new handball club setting up in Gateshead so I went members to our club too. along, and through that I found out about the Newcastle Vikings. “This is a great opportunity to come along and watch the fastest ball sport in the world.” Anyone “Coming third in our first league season has been amazing.” interested in getting involved and having a go at playing the Olympic sport can go along to one of Newcastle Vikings Handball Club train on Wednesday evenings at the Percy Hedley Sports Academy, the club’s training sessions. Killingworth, North Tyneside, – juniors from 7pm to 8pm and adults from 8pm to 10pm. Its junior and adult teams train on Monday evenings at Temple Park and on Wednesday evenings The club is also planning to start up additional junior and senior training sessions at Temple Park Leisure at Percy Hedley Sports Academy in Killingworth, North Tyneside. Centre from September. Further information can be found on the club’s website, www.newcastlehandball.co.uk, and on its Further information can be found at www.newcastlehandball.co.uk and on the club’s Facebook page. Facebook page.

28 April Handball club gets a national mark of success 2015 21 July 2015

Jade Mackie (Tyne & Wear Sport) presenting the Clubmark award to Marlen Slinning and some other members of the Newcastle Vikings club.

A South Tyneside-based sports club has been handed a national accolade. Newcastle Vikings Handball Club, who train at Temple Park Centre, South Shields, is celebrating scooping a prestigious clubmark accreditation.

They are the first club in England to receive the honour, for which they needed to achieve quality standards in a range of categories, from coaching and club management to child welfare and protection.

Jade Mackie, who presented club members with the prize on behalf of Tyne and Wear Sport, said: “I want to commend all involved with the club on attaining this prestigious recognition.

“Everyone at the club works extremely hard to raise the profile of handball across Tyne and Wear and the club is committed to offering activity to all of its members irrespective of what level they are at.”

Newcastle Vikings Handball Club has been training at Temple Park Leisure Centre since September 2014 and, along with the training sessions they hold in both in both South Tyneside and Killingworth, they also dedicate time to visiting schools to introduce the sport during PE lessons and at after- school clubs.

Marlen Slinning, who runs the club, said: “We are very proud to have achieved the Clubmark award. “We are a club for all members of the family and the award will show that we provide a safe and well run sport for anyone wanting to come and try it.

“We already have good adult male and female teams here, but would love to have more younger members here and hopefully this accreditation will encourage more parents to bring their children along to give it a try.”

48 Newcastle Vikings Ladies reclaim Tyneside Handball Tournament title 12 May 2016

Newcastle Vikings Ladies are celebrating after reclaiming their Tyneside Handball Tournament crown, Hosted by Newcastle Vikings Handball Club, the annual tournament, now in it’s third year, welcomed both men’s and women’s teams from across northern England and Scotland to South Shields’ Temple Park Leisure Centre to compete in the group stages, play-offs and finals. The Vikings women were up against Durham University, the University of Leeds and Edinburgh. Edinburgh’s draw with Durham University in the last of the women’s group-stage fixtures saw them win through to the final on goal difference, as Durham had to settle for third place ahead of the University of Leeds. However, Newcastle’s ladies were too strong for Edinburgh in the final as they ran out 17-10 winners in the highest- scoring match of the day. Vikings half-player Alina Inta claimed the tournament top-scorer prize with 13 goals. Newcastle Vikings’ men took on the newly-established Sunderland side, combined teams from York Hunters-Durham University and Edinburgh-Newcastle, the University of Strathclyde and reigning two-time champions Glasgow, A feisty derby saw Sunderland beat Newcastle 9-7 in the play-off for third place to gain revenge for the Vikings’ group stage victory, The Edinburgh-Newcastle team defeated York Hunters-Durham University 6-5 in the fifth place decider. Glasgow’s men had gone through the group stages unbeaten and seemed set for their third Tyneside win in a row, But an evenly-matched final saw their Scottish student neighbours hold them to an 8-8 draw to take it to a nail- biting sudden-death penalty shoot-out to decide the title for the second year. This time, however, Glasgow were to be denied as the University of Strathclyde goalkeeper’s second save gave them a 6-5 shoot-out victory. Strathclyde’s Chris Mowat and Glasgow’s Yohann Gloaguen were the clear top-scorers in the men’s competition for the second year running with 26 and 21 goals respectively. The club would like to thank all the teams for coming to take part and hope everyone enjoyed another great fun day.

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51 CLEAN SWEEP FOR VIKINGS AT NORTH-EAST TOURNAMENT. 2 February 2016 29 February 2016

Newcastle Vikings won four-from-four in the second round of the North East Handball tournament.

The matches, between Newcastle Vikings, Durham University and York Hunters took place at South Shields’ Temple Park Leisure Centre on 30 January.

The friendly tournament got underway with mixed teams from Durham University and York playing each other, Durham winning 13-8.

Newcastle Vikings’ women then scored a brilliant runaway 20-2 win over York Hunters, with both teams each giving a run out to a couple of Durham University players .

The Vikings men then beat York’s mixed team 17-10, as the home side sought to give more game time to a number of newer and less regular league players.

In the second women’s match of the day Newcastle switched things around a bit to allow players a chance to try less familiar positions. York took an early two-goal lead but the Vikings came back to win 9-3.

The final men’s match saw the Vikings run out convincing 16-6 victors over the mixed Durham University side.

Together with Newcastle’s league victory over the Huddersfield men’s team earlier in the afternoon, the regional tournament wins were a welcome return to winning ways for the Vikings men’s and women’s teams.

Durham University hosts the third round of the North East tournament on 28 February 2016.

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58 Club Focus – 12 February July 2015 Newcastle Vikings Handball Club 2015 Handball is a sport played throughout five continents by over 180 countries and 19 million people all ages, worldwide. Vikings First to Achieve National Clubmark Accolade Combining speed, strength, stamina, agility, technical precision, skill and teamwork, handball has become one of the fastest-paced and exciting Olympic sports. Founded in 2012, the Newcastle Vikings Handball Club is the first handball club in Newcastle Vikings Handball Club have become the only handball the region. The club is made up of a diverse group of people with a common objective: club in England to achieve the prestigious Clubmark practice handball whilst contributing to the development of the community through accreditation. sport. Clubmark is a national accolade for sports clubs, awarded in recognition of achieving high quality Marlen Slinning is the head coach and the driving force behind the club. Hailing from Norway with years of experience playing and teaching handball, she is passionate standards in child welfare and protection, coaching, club management and a range of other about developing young people and adults in the art of handball. Marlen has joined measures designed to ensure the club is well managed. forces with a group of other sports enthusiasts and founded the club that to date has over 40 participants, both juniors and seniors. The award was presented by Tyne & Wear Sport at the club's training session at Temple Park Leisure Centre in South Shields. Presenting the award, Jade Mackie from Tyne & Wear Sport said, We spoke with Marlen to find out more about her club and this fascinating sport. "I want to commend all involved with the club on attaining this prestigious recognition. Everyone at What makes Handball such a great sport? the club works extremely hard to raise the profile of handball across Tyne and Wear and the club is Handball is an exciting and action packed team sport which is great fun for girls and boys committed to offering activity to all of its members irrespective of what level they are at." of all ages. It is recognised as the fastest ball sport in the world and can be played both indoor and outdoor, even on the beach. Handball can be adapted to the equipment and As well as training regularly at both South Tyneside and the Percy Hedley Sports Academy in space you have available and there are many simplified versions of the game which can Killingworth, Newcastle Vikings Handball Club also spend a lot of time visiting schools to introduce suit different size groups and ability. the sport during PE lessons and at after-school clubs. How many club members do you have and how often do you hold training sessions ? Head Coach Marlen Slinning said, "We are very proud to have achieved Currently we have 48 members and we hold sessions twice a week. the Clubmark award. We are a club for all members of the family and Mondays at Temple Park Leisure Centre, South Shields: Juniors, age 10-16 from 6.30-7.30pm - Seniors Development (age the award will show that we provide a safe and well run sport for anyone 17+) from 7-8.30pm. Those who are playing in the league stay until 10pm on Mondays. wanting to come and try it. We already have good adult male and Wednesday at Percy Hedley Sports Academy, Killingworth: Juniors, age 10-16 from 7-8pm - Seniors Development (age female teams here, but would love to have more younger members 17+) from 8-10pm. here and hopefully this accreditation will encourage more parents to Do you get many people coming along to the training sessions who are completely new to the sport? bring their children along to give it a try." Our membership changes every year as we have a lot of students playing with us. This means every season we lose and gain new members due to people finishing or starting university. John Thomason from England Handball said, “Newcastle Vikings are a great example of a club that Around half of our members were completely new to handball when they joined us. So it is a is promoting best practice on and off the court, and that is reflected in their achievement of being great mix of beginners and experienced players. awarded Clubmark. The partnership approach with Tyne & Wear Sport that the club has adopted in Do you have a Junior Team at the moment? reaching this goal has set an example to other handball clubs across the country.” We have a Junior Team training at Percy Hedley Sports Academy on Wednesdays. We have 10 Handball is a team sport which involves two teams of seven players in the age between 10-16. players; it is played at an extremely high pace and is suitable for We are also working closely with South Tyneside Council to promote our new Temple Park Junior males, females and juniors of all levels. There are now sessions. We are also working closely with Sunderland School Sport to promote our sessions approximately 19 million people playing the sport worldwide and it through school visits and taking part in their handball school games. We also offer all schools one free taster session of handball to hopefully attract new members to our junior sessions. has been an official Olympic sport since 1936. What has been the biggest achievement for the Newcastle Viking club? Jade Mackie (Tyne & Wear Sport) presenting the Clubmark award For our club the biggest achievement has been seeing how much the club has developed from when we started in to Marlen Slinning and some other members of the Newcastle September 2012. After only one year we had one women’s team and one men’s team playing competitive handball in the Vikings Handball Club. Scottish League and this year in the English League and we have one junior team. So after just one season we had over forty members. How can someone get involved with your club? If someone would like to try out handball they are very welcome to any of our handball sessions. We offer three free taster sessions and welcome beginners as well as experienced players. If schools or other community clubs would like a taste of handball the can get in touch with us to arrange and we can come to their venue. As we are playing in the English North Development league we host home matches at Temple Park some weekends during the year and we will be hosting our annual handball tournament on the 2nd May from 9am to 7pm. We also welcome spectators to come along and support us during our matches. This has free entry and it’s a great way to get a taste of the sport. Details of our match dates can be found here our website. We’d like to thanks Marlen and her team for all of their help. For more information about Newcastle Viking Handball Club you visit their website, like their Facebook page and follow them on Twitter.

59 Schools rival to compete for the School Games Handball title

Laura Watson March 30, 2017 June 2017 30 March The first School Games handball competition in Tyne and Wear 2017 was a great success with 20 teams in total taking part. Oxclose Community Academy won the U15’s boys' competition and Churchill Community College won the U13’s boys' competition. The U15’s girls' competition winners were Biddick Academy and the U13’s girls competition winners were St Wilfrid’s RC school. The competition was a culmination of qualifying rounds and was held at Temple Park Leisure Centre in South Shields. The winners will now progress to the regional qualifiers held in the next couple of months . Claire Lee, School Games Co-ordinator at Tyne & Wear Sport said, “Handball is an up and coming sport in the UK and it was great to see so many young, talented people getting involved with the sport in our region. England Handball, Newcastle Vikings Handball Club and Sunderland Handball Club were a big help in running the event.” Students expressed their excitement of getting involved with a new sport through School Games and commented on how handball is a fast pace, energetic team sport. Megan, Caitlin and Lucy from Churchill Community College said, “We love the fast paced energy in handball which makes the sport really fun to play.” The pupils from Churchill Community College also commented on the positivities they achieve from being part of a team in sport. “What like most about playing sport is the team work that is produced. You can also relieve stress when playing sport and the feeling like you are part of a team is great. It’s also nice to spend time with your friends too.” Many of the students at the handball competition were very talented and some even play for sports clubs outside of school including football, rugby and boxing. Jordan and Connor from Oxclose Community Academy said, “We all play many other sports including football and boxing. We play for clubs outside of school including, Riverside Panthers Football Club, Leam Rangers Football Club and District Youth Boxing Club.” The pupils from Oxclose went onto say, “What enjoy the most about taking part in sport is keeping fit and having fun at the same time. We enjoy playing together as a team as we encourage and support each other on and off the field.” The girls photographs from the competition can be found here and the boys photographs from the competition can be found here.

Results: U13 Girls U13 Boys · 1st – St Wilfrid’s · 1st – Churchill · 2nd – Lord Lawson · 2nd – Lord Lawson · 3rd – Gosforth Central · 3rd – St Wilfrids · 4th – Kepier · 4th – Oxclose

· 5th – Churchill · 5th – Gosforth Central U15 Girls U15 Boys · 1st – Biddick · 1st – Oxclose · 2nd – Gosforth · 2nd – Gosforth Academy · 3rd – St Wilfrid’s · 3rd – St Wilfrids · 4th – Churchill · 4th – Lord Lawson · 5th – Lord Lawson · 5th - Churchill

60 13 June June 2018 2019

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Handball match to be held in CitySpace 6 February 2013 Released: Wednesday 6th February 2013 Following on from the National University Handball Championships in London which was the biggest event ever recorded for university handball Student keen to bring handball to Sunderland 2 August 2012 in the UK, the Institute of Sport are holding their own showcase game and Released: Thursday 2nd August 2012 try it out session this coming Saturday 9th February 2013 in CitySpace. Sunderland University student Jack Woods has been inspired by Great Britain’s Come to Cityspace at 3pm to see a University of Sunderland squad play Handball teams and is determined to set up a club at the University. against a Newcastle team made up of the Vikings and Gateshead on our Great Britain are making their competitive Olympic debut at the Copper Box at show court. There’ll then be an opportunity to try handball yourself after the London 2012 and despite neither the Men’s or Women’s teams managing to secure game. a victory yet, the sport is proving to be a popular choice for spectators and the media and Woods is keen to capitalise on this growing interest. Team training will be held in CitySpace on a Sunday from 6pm – 8pm for anyone interested in joining the newly formed University of Sunderland team. Both men and women Woods, from South Shields, said: “I first discovered Handball when I went to Germany on holiday when I was 14. I was on a school trip and it looked amazing. are welcome and players will be given the chance to play competitively in a local league. “I held an interest from there really, but there is nothing in the North East.” For more information contact Sports and Activities Officer Danielle Farrell on 0191 515 3696 or email Undeterred, the 19 year old maintained an interest in the sport until a British [email protected] Handball UK Tour back in May offered him the chance to try the sport. Image: Great Britain’s Women’s Handball team celebrate a goal against Montenegro at London 2012. Picture Credit: AP Photo/Matthias Schrader The tour visited Eldon Square in Newcastle where Woods, who has his Handball coaching certificates, took part in a taster session. After impressing the organisers, he was invited to train with Newcastle University and travelled with them to compete in a handball tournament in Eindhoven in June. Woods said: “There were students from all over the country: Loughborough, Lincoln, Brighton and Newcastle and we took four teams including a women’s team. “It was a huge tournament, the sport is massive in Europe. People I spoke to didn’t even know that Britain had a team and they seemed surprised by that.” Woods is perplexed as to why Handball isn’t more popular in the UK but believes that the Olympics is the perfect opportunity to build interest and participation in the sport. “Handball is such a good sport but it needs exposure and the Olympics is perfect for that so the time is now,” said Woods. “I don’t understand why it’s not bigger here – its definitely more continental but I don’t know why it hasn’t made it over the channel. “Maybe as an island we are excluded as to what goes on in mainland Europe where there are competitive league and the opportunity to play more teams?” Jack Woods (back row, second left) with a group of British students at a Handball competition in Eindhoven. After his experience in Eindhoven, Woods has wasted no time in looking to establish a club at the University. Sunderland University are now affiliated with the Association of British Universities Handball Clubs (ABUH) and Woods has a list of over twenty names of interested people who want to get involved. “If you look at GB team, four years ago they didn’t have a team and now they are in the Olympics,” said Woods. “Newcastle University are desperate for some local competition. This year I want to enter a team in as many competitions as we can and have friendly matches. “I know there is interest around the country from the students I met in Eindhoven and hopefully by 2013 we can establish a BUCS Handball league. That’s the goal. “I’d encourage anyone looking for a new and interesting sport to get involved. It’s a really fast paced game, really good fun. I’m glad its getting some exposure at the Games and I just hope I can build on that, and the sport in this country can build on that after the Games.” Anyone interested in helping establish the Sunderland University Handball Club should contact the Sports Officer on 0191 515 3696 or email: [email protected] Picture Credit: Team GB celebrate a goal against Montenegro at London 2012. AP Photo/Matthias Schrader

18 October 2012

Woods hoping London 2012 will boost the popularity of Handball at BUCS level

Great Britain's Women's Handball team celebrate a goal against Montenegro at London 2012. Picture Credit: AP Photo/Matthias Schrader Student keen to bring Handball to 2 August Sunderland University’s Handball teams are hoping that the 2012 Sunderland London 2012 Olympic games will encourge more people to become involved in the sport. Great Britain's Women's Handball team celebrate a goal against Montenegro at London 2012. Picture Credit: AP Photo/Matthias Schrader At the Freshers Fayre, over 100 students signed up to take part in Handball, leaving Sunderland University student Jack Woods has been inspired by Great Britain’s the University with two men’s teams and potentially the only women’s team in the North Handball teams and is determined to set up a club at the University. East. Great Britain are making their competitive Olympic debut at the Copper Box at London 2012 and despite neither the Men’s or Women’s teams managing to secure a victory yet, the sport At the 2012 Olympic Games neither of the GB teams picked up a victory. However, Jack is proving to be a popular choice for spectators and the media and Woods is keen to capitalise on this growing interest. Woods, President of the University team, is confident that with the talent at his disposal Woods, from South Shields, said: “I first discovered Handball when I went to Germany on holiday when I was 14. I was on a this will not be repeated for Sunderland at British Universities and College Sport (BUCS) school trip and it looked amazing. level. “I held an interest from there really, but there is nothing in the North East.” “The Olympics has really showcased what Handball actually is,” said Woods. ”Students Undeterred, the 19 year old maintained an interest in the sport until a British Handball UK Tour back in May offered him the chance to try the sport. have been saying ‘I saw it at the Games and I needed to play it’, that’s the legacy of The tour visited Eldon Square in Newcastle where Woods, who has his Handball coaching certificates, took part in a taster the Games.” session. He added: “I have seen quite a few guys who have real potential to go somewhere in After impressing the organisers, he was invited to train with Newcastle University and travelled with them to compete in a this sport, and that’s just from looking at their ability in the taster sessions, with some handball tournament in Eindhoven in June. coaching they could go pretty far”. Woods said: “There were students from all over the country: Loughborough, Lincoln, Brighton and Newcastle and we took four teams including a women’s team. Although no fixtures have currently been arranged for the Handball team, Woods has “It was a huge tournament, the sport is massive in Europe. People I spoke to didn’t even know that Britain had a team and connections at Universities nationwide, with future fixtures against Loughborough, they seemed surprised by that.” Bangor and Leeds a distinct possibility. Jack Woods (back row, second left) with a group of British students at a Handball competition in Eindhoven. Talks are currently underway with representatives from both Northumbria and Woods is perplexed as to why Handball isn’t more popular in the UK but believes Newcastle Universities, to arrange future friendly matches. that the Olympics is the perfect opportunity to build interest and participation in the sport. In addition to friendly games, the establishment of a Northern Tournament is “Handball is such a good sport but it needs exposure and the Olympics is perfect collaboratively underway and is planned to take place in early November, at CitySpace. for that so the time is now,” said Woods. “I don’t understand why it’s not bigger here – its definitely more continental but I Students interested in getting involved with Handball should email Jack Woods at: don’t know why it hasn’t made it over the channel. [email protected] and training sessions are held at CitySpace at 6-8 every “Maybe as an island we are excluded as to what goes on in mainland Europe where Sunday evening. there are competitive league and the opportunity to play more teams?”

After his experience in Eindhoven, Woods has wasted no time in looking to establish a club at the University.

Sunderland University are now affiliated with the Association of British Universities Handball Clubs (ABUH) and Woods has a list of over twenty names of interested people who want to get involved.

“If you look at GB team, four years ago they didn’t have a team and now they are in the Olympics,” said Woods. 24 October “Newcastle University are desperate for some local competition. This year I want to enter a team in as many competitions as we can and have friendly matches. 2012 “I know there is interest around the country from the students I met in Eindhoven and hopefully by 2013 we can establish a Handball on the rise in Sunderland BUCS Handball league. That’s the goal. “I’d encourage anyone looking for a new and interesting sport to get involved. It’s a really fast paced game, really good fun. I’m University of Sunderland Handball captain Jack Woods believes the London 2012 Games glad its getting some exposure at the Games and I just hope I can build on that, and the sport in this country can build on that has had a positive effect on the sport. Jack also goes on to tell us about his hopes for after the Games.” handball at the University. Team GB have lost all of their matches at London 2012 so far but there have been encouraging displays against quality and experienced opposition. The Men’s team are scheduled to play their third game of the tournament against Argentina this afternoon. Anyone interested in helping establish the Sunderland University Handball Club should contact the Sports Officer on 0191 515 3696 or email: [email protected].

65 Give it a go Handball session to be 12 November 6 February 2012 2013 Sunderland Handball Club suffer held at CitySpace Great Britain’s Women’s Handball team celebrate a goal against consecutive defeats in tournament debut Montenegro at London 2012. Picture Credit: AP Photo/Matthias Schrader The only way is up for Sunderland Handball Club after they suffered defeats to The University of Sunderland Handball team are hosting a both Northumbria and Newcastle Universities in the Northern Tournament at free session on Saturday to boost the popularity of the sport Eldon Leisure on Sunday. in the North East. In the first ever game for Sunderland HC, they were comfortably beaten by an The event will take place in the main hall of CitySpace between 3-5 pm and will be experienced Northumbria side 29-15. hosted by the Newcastle Vikings Handball Club, Gateshead Handball Club and the University of Sunderland Handball team. However, in the second and final match of the tournament Sunderland were more convincing, only losing by nine points to a very impressive Newcastle team, 19-10. A showcase exhibition match will be played as a select team of Vikings and Gateshead players face the university side to offer a taste of a live Handball game. Captain Jack Woods knew that both games against seasoned teams would be difficult and said his side had to be realistic in President of the University Handball team Jack Woods is looking for more players to their expectations from their opening games. bolster the squad, with the Handball players offering coaching after the match in the hope that people will turn up to training the week after and join the university team. He said: “Against Northumbria we were all over the place, but that’s acceptable because it was the first game more than half “Handball is an extremely fast paced and thrilling game and we here at the club really the guys had played. want to showcase what the sport has to offer people,” said Woods. “After the game I sat them down and they really took what I had to say on board. In “There’s still an Olympic buzz about the sport and I encourage anyone interested to the second game we held off Newcastle for a long time and the scoreline was come down and try it.” acceptable. The university also hope to get enough female’s down to CitySpace on Saturday to put “I’m proud of the guys, especially in the last game; losing by less than 10 points to on a mini women’s game. Newcastle is progress as they are a really strong team.” Woods added: “The session is open to everyone, students and members of the public, Woods highlighted the performance of James Errington in goal as the best of the day, and it’s a great opportunity for people to come and enjoy one of Europe’s most popular making clear that Errington’s quality was one of the key factors that kept Sunderland sports.” in the second game. One of the reasons that the university team have struggled to get enough players Sunderland HC will be looking for their first competitive win in yet to be confirmed signed on in recent years is that there hasn’t been a Handball league for them to future friendly matches, likely to be played at CitySpace. compete in, but now plans are being put in place to form a North East league. University of Sunderland Sports and Activities officer, Danielle Farrell, believes the introduction of a league will help generate interest in the sport. Danielle said: “It is hard to get enough players to sign on because there is not a league for them to play in at the moment so we have a very small squad. “We have a format for a league down on paper so hopefully it will be up and running soon.” As well as the promise of a new league, it is hoped that the showpiece event on Saturday will inspire people to get involved in the sport, and Danielle believes that Handball offers a great variation on most other sports. She added: “I think people should try Handball because it is a really really fun and energetic game, to watch and play. You are indoors so it can be played all year round and it just gives you a bit of variety to play a different sport.”

66 Handball: “More things to come”, 10 February Handball Exhibition Match in 13 February says captain Woods 2013 Sunderland – In Pictures 2013 University of Sunderland Handball captain Jack Woods thinks that the sport can grow in A selection of images from the Handball Exhibition at Cityspace in Sunderland. the North East following an exhibition day against a Newcastle side at CitySpace. To read more about the day and the hopes for Handball in Sunderland, click here. Sunderland lost 15-9 against a men’s side comprising of Newcastle Vikings and Gateshead, and then lost 11-9 to the Viking’s women’s side, but Woods said: “This, All pictures taken by Zoe Vicarage, email: [email protected] hopefully, is the springboard for more things to come.” There hasn’t been a local league for Sunderland to join this year, meaning the team has been restricted to merely training sessions but there are high hopes for Handball, which has grown in popularity since the London 2012 Olympics. As well as the two exhibition matches, there was also a ‘give it a go’ session where anyone could come on to the court and play the game as the University seeks to get more people involved in the Woods positive about new-look sport. 23 October Woods said: “Handball at the university is a really new thing. It’s a new club this year; I think we’re Handball team 2013 the newest sports society (at University of Sunderland). Sunderland University’s handball coach is optimistic “We’re trying to get a local league together, especially with the guys from Newcastle Vikings. They’ll about his team’s prospects for this year. be a league for us to play in and opportunities for people to play so it isn’t just training, it’ll be games as well.” Jack Woods has long been interested in handball, a sport with a large following in mainland Europe but not in the UK. The Vikings were set up in September 2012 and, along with Gateshead and a university team from Newcastle, are keen to join a league and star player Charlie Goulty said that they wanted to However, the success of London 2012 provided a capitalise on the popularity of Handball from London 2012.. springboard for this “new” sport and Woods, part of the GB students’ side, chose to set up a team for the University. Goulty said: “With the interest that’s been generated from the Olympics, that’s been the idea, to really try and promote the sport. Last year, lacking experience, the team struggled in their first two tournaments, but some continental help drastically “The point of today was to really start the ball rolling in terms of competition, that was one of the improved performances. main goals: to get a competitive league going in the North East.” “We had a few Germans playing and we were suddenly unstoppable,” Woods recalls. “Instead of Sunderland were largely outclassed in the opening game although did get more into it as the tie losing, we weren’t even letting teams score this time.” wore on, and they matched the women’s team throughout the second game. They improved defensively as Woods’ organisational skills came into play, and they put together some fluent But the nature of University limits the lifespan for players, as proven with this year’s all-new line- attacking play too. up. Woods said of the performances: “I think we did really well. We played the girls in the second game “This year we’ve got three Cypriots, two Greeks and a Polish guy as well,” Woods said of his but even the Vikings say that their girl’s team are their strongest team. cosmopolitan team. “I’m really quite proud of the guys. Two of them had never played handball before, and the rest of “We’ve been blessed because finding a good pivot player is extremely hard, yet there’s someone the team had only played two competitive games. here who has played pivot for six years. His job is to create gaps so your players can have free shots on goal.” “It’s really good for the team, they’ve really enjoyed it and it’s been a real big morale boost that they’ve held the score quite low.” Woods, with his Level 1 coaching badge, knows he needs to get his team toughened up for this contact sport, adding: “I want them prepared for what they’re going to feel. The Handball team trains from 6-8pm every Sunday for men and women at CitySpace, and Woods added of the sport: “It’s a really good workout, it’s a very physical game, it’s really fast and it’s “In a handball game, there’ll be people throwing you and clattering you – I’ve broken my jaw twice! really fun to play.” I play American Football for the University and it hurts less. In handball there’s no pads, it’s a very physical game.” Coaching takes place at CitySpace on Sunday evenings but Sunderland isn’t participating in a BUCS (British Universities & Colleges Sport) handball league, forcing Woods into using his contacts to arrange matches. “A lot of players on my GB students’ side run the handball programmes at 12 February Universities like Bangor, Loughborough, Bath, Leeds and Sheffield Hallam, so we’ve got options. 2013 “Nationals are in February too, if we can get ourselves there. But we won’t have a match for at least six weeks.” High hopes for Handball in Sunderland In the meantime Woods, as player-coach, has to teach a whole new sport to many of his teammates. The London legacy lives on. The Newcastle Vikings came down to Cityspace to play an exhibition match against the University of Sunderland side. A taster session was also put on afterwards as Handball continues to receive interest after bursting into public consciousness during the Olympics.

12 June 2015 Farringdon girls eye national handball glory

Farringdon Community Academy’s Year 10 girls are aiming for glory this weekend – after reaching the National Handball Championships. The team, made up of Year 9 and 10 pupils, are off to the University of Worcester for their big day, having won the Sunderland and Northern regional qualifiers. The Farringdon girls have been given the ideal build-up, with coaching from the Newcastle Vikings handball club to hone their skills further. Megan Elliott, Tiegan Mason, Terri Gilmour, Emily Herron, Sarah Blackhall, Issy Auty, Alice Jewitt, Amelia Agnew, Juliet Humphrey and Katy Hutchinson will represent Farringdon, whose head teacher, Howard Kemp, said: “We are delighted that out students have qualified for the National Handball Finals. “This represents the culmination of a lot of hard work from staff and students alike. “Handball really took off at Farringdon following the 2012 Olympic games and is part of our PE syllabus in Key Stage 3. I know that our girls will do the school, the city and the region proud – good luck! ”Alice Jewitt will not travel south with the squad today, as she is taking part in an England Karate training session, but she will head to Worcester in time for the quest for national success.

23 May 2016

69 9 December 2015

9 March 2014-15 Archive 2015 Lastly, to our newest sport as handball went to their final tournament of the year. This is still not a BUCS sport but we believe it will be in the not too distant future. We managed to make it through the group stages in Birmingham beating MMU 8-2 and Liverpool John Moores 9-3 but lost to Loughborough 8-6. We eventually lost out in the last sixteen going down to Nottingham 9-4 but we look to be ready for the sport’s change of status.

71 Reference Sources

England Handball - http://www.englandhandball.com/?s=newcastle

Tyne & Wear Sport - http://www.tynewearsport.org/blog.aspx?id=7982 • http://www.tynewearsport.org/news/2017/3/22/school-games-handball • http://www.tynewearsport.org/school-games-u13-15-girls-handball-march-2017 https://youtu.be/8CuSdCH-iKM

• http://www.tynewearsport.org/school-games-u1315-boys-handball-march-2017 https://youtu.be/83oQ-sTkLrg

Newcastle Vikings Handball Club - http://newcastlehandball.co.uk/

Newcastle University • The Courier Archive - http://courierarchive.ncl.ac.uk/

• The Courier online - http://thecourieronline.co.uk/ University of Sunderland

• http://search.sunderland.ac.uk/

• http://sportsbyte.sunderland.ac.uk/category/handball/ Durham University

• https://www.teamdurham.com • https://www.dur.ac.uk/

University of Glasgow

• Glasgow Guardian - https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/archives/guardian/ The Chronicle - http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/other-sport/amateur-sport

Shields Gazette - http://www.shieldsgazette.com/

Sunderland Echo - http://www.sunderlandecho.com/sport/farringdon-girls-eye-national- handball-glory-1-7305789